1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to all-optical switching networks and more particularly to a non-blocking all-optical switching network employing a dynamic scheduling algorithm.
2. Description of the Related Art
One problem inherent in high-bandwidth switching is that switching itself introduces and becomes a bottleneck in the data transfer process for TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) or packet traffic. For instance, in a switch with 4096 ports, there are 4096×4096=16,777,216 possible port-to-port connections and a very high potential for blocking. Based on current technology it is virtually impossible to have all of these connections available at once.
The conventional solution to this problem is to establish a closed network, which is a non-blocking static link system that models the behavior of the incoming traffic, and forms a non-blocking static link system that maximizes the throughput by minimizing the amount of time an established link has no traffic to send. A major disadvantage of this system is that it does not adjust for the current traffic queues (i.e. patterns). Typically a one-time solution (i.e. statistical model) is employed via empirical tests to resolve any blocking issues. The solution of course will not be the optimal solution in all instances, but provides a practical response to blocking situations that do occur.
If the traffic the switch encounters deviates appreciably from the assumed distribution implemented by the chosen solution, traffic can be left waiting at the optical switch for prolonged periods even if the switch is not operating at capacity. This is a severe limitation inherent in static statistical models. What is needed is a system and method for dynamically recalculating a solution and dynamically setting and re-setting switch paths based on the current environment of the network and switch capacity.